savory polenta cupcakes

Not exactly my idea of a cupcake, but I admit I just adapted the name of the original recipe. Ever since I learned how easy the perfect polenta can be, polenta recipes are more tempting than ever. Inspired by a Food and Wine recipe for individual lasagna cakes, I thought polenta might be a nice substitute (spoiler alert: for once, I was right).

This is not a light dinner. This is a stick-to-your-ribs, baby-it’s-cold-outside, where-are-my-pj-pants, kind of recipe. Of course, serve a salad on the side and tell yourself that it all balances out in the end.

Spread out cooked polenta in a thin layer (no more than an inch) over a baking sheet and allow to cool.

Using a measuring cup that is slightly smaller than your ramekin, cut out your polenta layers.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Butter ramekins and coat with Parmigiano; tap out the excess. Place the ramekins on a sturdy rimmed baking sheet.

In a large saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and whisk over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add the milk and whisk over moderate heat until the sauce is bubbling and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg, chives, parsley and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano. Let cool slightly, then stir in the Fontina and prosciutto. Season the filling with pepper.

Arrange 1 polenta round in the bottom of each ramekin. Spoon filling into each ramekin and top with another polenta round; press to flatten slightly. Note: Number of layers you can fit will depend on how thin you were able to spread out your polenta. The thicken the polenta round, the fewer the layers.

Top with the remaining filling and polenta round. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano and cover loosely with foil.

Bake the cupcakes for about 15-20 minutes, until the filling is just bubbling.

Remove the foil and bake for about 10 minutes longer, until slightly puffed and the tops and sides are golden. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Run a knife around each “cupcake” and invert onto plates, tapping firmly to release them. Serve with that feel-good green salad on the side.